We propose using finely-grained satellite data at national borders, where one political jurisdiction ends and another begins, to evaluate the net impact of national conservation policies. Using 30x30 meter satellite data along Brazil’s 12,800 km border in the Amazon, we find dramatic shifts in deforestation rates that align with changes in Brazilian policies. Between 2001 and 2005, at the tail end of a pro-exploitation period, annual deforestation in Brazil was more than three times the rate across the border. From 2006 to 2013, these differences disappeared as Brazil introduced policies to curb deforestation. However, they re-emerged in 2014 amid a period of dismantling environmental regulation. We show that both reversals were stronger in areas with weaker de jure protection and greater potential for exploitation. National borders provide a unique means to evaluate the effectiveness of national conservation policies, which are increasingly of international concern.

Researcher: Francisco Costa
EPGE Brazilian School of Economics and Finance (FGV EPGE)
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